Snowflakes
by Carpe.Deum
Summary: Snow. Nothing but it. But ah, the memories that snow retained. And now that Ace has returned to the place of snow, he's got to set a few of those memories right, or else a certain healer wont ever forgive him. Rated T for subjects in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Onepiece. I do, however, own Moro, TimberWolf Island, and everything pertaining to that island.

* * *

Chapter 1

He had left Fuschia about six months ago, and he still hasn't found pirate crew to join. Oh well. At least he was in the Grand Line now. Along his journey, he had found the Mera Mera No Mi, and gained its powers along with loosing the ability to swim. You would think that being able to control fire would keep Portgas D. Ace warm out on the open sea, but sadly it did not. He drifted along in his rowboat, like his little brother would be doing in three years time, rubbing his hands together for warmth. He should've worn a shirt...and brought along a blanket or ten. Hell, he thought he would be with a crew by now. But no. It was mid January, and he's floating out in the middle of the ocean, freezing his ass off. Teeth chattering, he snuggled up against the side of the rowboat, and fell into a restless sleep.

A few hours later, or was it days?, the rowboat gently lodged itself onto a beach. Ace still didn't wake up, a snot bubble gently expanding and retracting into his nose. The island had snow covering all its greenery, and it had begun to snow gently once again. It landed on Ace's face, and almost instantly melted away. He shifted, turning on his other side but still not waking up. A lone howl broke through the silence of the early morning; Ace's eyes automatically snapped open and he sat up in his tiny rowboat. He looked around, searching for the source of the howl, and then suddenly remembered how cold he was. He rubbed his shoulders after shaking the snow off his hat, and heard the howl again, except louder. Was the canine that made the noise closer? Ace wasn't completely horrified, being Ace of course he wasn't, but he did feel a sliver of worry.

"H-hello?" he stuttered, teeth clacking together while he stood up in the rowboat. Ace squinted through the snowflakes that were now falling in bulk and making it difficult to see what lay ahead. A pair of golden eyes suddenly appeared out of no where, and just stared at him with a gaze as cold as ice. Instantly being creeped out, for who wouldn't?, Ace's jaw dropped slightly and he felt himself begin to panic. He summoned a large fireball in each hand, and threw them towards the glowing golden orbs in self defense. They melted all the snow where they collided into the white ground, and illuminated the front half of the beast. It was a snowy white wolf, with a thick mane of fur. No wonder it had blended in so well with the blizzard. Ace stood rigid in his boat with the snowflakes whirling around him, frozen with the cold and shock of seeing a beast of sheer size. For you see, it was much bigger than a normal wolf. It was as long as Ace was tall, and its shoulders reached up to his waist. The giant wolf stepped forward, over where the fireballs had collided into the ground and stayed smoldering, towards the pirate to be. He still didn't move, enchanted by either the cold, or the beauty of the animal and its ferocity. If you ask me, I think it was all three. The giant wolf was only a mere yard away, when Ace suddenly felt drowsy. His narcolepsy kicking in, Ace fell asleep standing up. The beast was now right in front of him, half in the boat and half out, sniffing at his shoes. That's when Ace fell forward onto the beast's back. She grunted, stumbling at first with the extra weight on her back, but eventually regaining her balance and stalking away.

* * *

"...the hell?" he mumbled, eyes fluttering open. Ace looked around, and noticed he was no longer in his little rowboat. Oh no. Instead, he was now in what looked like a small cottage. He lay in a bed with many covers, including what looked like a white fur cloak. There was a window on the opposite wall, above a desk. The desk had herbs scattered all over it, some loose sheets of paper, and three books on herbology and medicine stacked on the upper right corner. Potted plants adorned the windowsill, and every empty nook and cranny of the room for that matter. The bed he was laying in was pushed against the wall, and underneath another window. Ace then noticed the white fur cloak, and gently pet it. An image of the white wolf suddenly flashed into his mind. A real wolf couldn't have been that big... Could it? No, it was probably the snow storm playing tricks on him. Ace heard footsteps coming from the doorway directly in front of him, and they brought him out of his train of thought. A wooden beaded curtain hung over the doorway, so it was rather difficult to see what was moving behind them. The only thing he saw was a white and black figure, shifting about. Ace shrugged, not really caring, and snuggled back into the warm covers. He didn't really care how he got into this place, but was thankful he was here at all. Sighing, he prepared to go to sleep, but a voice said otherwise.

"You're awake. Good" she said. Ace opened one eye peering out to see who had spoke. A slender woman was shuffling around the room, paying him no attention, with a tray that had a bowl of soup, some bread, and a kettle of boiling water in her left hand. With her right, she was dragging over the wooden chair from her desk to place it next to the bed. Ace propped himself up on his elbows as she stood next to him calmly and said; "Sit up, please"

Ace did as he was told, and the woman placed the tray of food on his lap. She took the kettle of boiling water away and placed it on her desk before coming back. Ace didn't even look at the food that she had served him, but instead stared at her with a raised brow. "Well, what are you waiting for? An invitation?" she asked with her syrupy voice, and then commanded; "Eat"

Ace shrugged and bit a huge chock off the bread. He replied with a full mouth; "Whatever you say, lady" before chugging down half of his soup. The woman watched him intently. She wore a long sleeved off-the-shoulder white tee, and a long black flowy skirt. Her complexion was fair, with white hair that framed her oval face and reached mid back. Her eyes were a haunting molten gold. Ace drowned the last of his soup and let out a satisfied sigh while patting his belly.

"Thanks so much, Miss. I feel much better now!" he said chuckling and scratching the back of his head. The woman nodded solemnly, and took away the tray to place it on her desk next to the kettle. That's when Portgas noticed something; she had a dog-like tail coming out of a hole in her skirt and a pair of dog-like ears on her head. Ace wondered why he hadn't seen them before... probably because the ears were the same color as her hair and the tail looked like some sort of belt at first.

"What's with the dog features?" Ace asked as she shuffled around the room, plucking a herb or two from every other potted plant and placing them in the boiling water.

"Inu Inu No Mi" she said simply, coming back to him. "Though it was not me who ate it. My ancestors did, and so, the traits were passed down to me. You are the Flame Flame Fruit, yes?" she said pushing the cup into Ace's hand and sitting down. "Drink"

"Why?" he asked sniffing the potion and cringing at the smell. It was horrible. He looked at the woman skeptically, wondering what the hell it was. She just stared right back, her gaze as cold as ice...

"Its medicine" she said simply, her stern gaze never wavering as she sat down and crossed her legs with an air of refinement. "A few more hours out there and you would have frozen to death. That, and it seems like you haven't eaten in a few days, so your body is weak. You also have a slight case of scurvy; see how you're arm is a bit bruised up?"

Ace felt his arm, and it was true, it did hurt slightly when he applied pressure to the area. He hadn't done anything to bruise himself, so she might be right. Hell, what did he now about being a healer? He sighed, and without a second thought, gulped down the potion. He almost gagged because of how bad it tasted. The woman's gaze softened a bit, and she got up, taking the cup from him and placing it on her desk along with the other things. She seemed the type that could not sit still for a very long period of time.

"You ate the Mera Mera no Mi?"

"You asked that already" Ace stated bluntly before lying down again and covering himself with the multitude of blankets. The white-haired girl rolled her golden eyes.

"Yes, but you didn't answer"

"Point taken. And yes, I did" he said chuckling and then stretched. The woman stood over him, and placed her hand on his forehead. She shook her head and sighed.

"You're a bit warm... Rest" she commanded and then began to walk towards the doorway.

"Miss, wait a minute please"

She stopped, and turned to lean on the wall facing Ace. Her gaze told him to spit out whatever he wanted to say, and make it quick.

"First of all, your name?"

"Moro" she answered quickly.

"You're a doctor, right?"

"I prefer the term 'healer', thank you"

"Whatever you say, Miss... Where am I?"

"Timber Wolf Island, in the outskirts of the small port town of White Wolf"

"One last question; what was the deal with the big white wolf I saw earlier? Did it bring me here?"

Moro smirked at this, and corrected Ace by saying; "That was two questions"

Ace smirked as well and chuckled silently before sitting up. "Quite a character, aren't we?"

Moro grinned, bearing her wolf like fangs. "You don't know that half of it"

"I have a feeling I'm going to find out" he retorted, finding himself to be grinning as well. He continued; "We're getting off topic. What about the-"

Ace stopped in mid sentence. Moro has stalked over to him, gotten on the bed, and was now standing directly over him. Most people would've started blushing, but he was rather enjoying himself. He wasn't going to be though, in a few moments. In an instant, Moro seemed to grow larger. Her face got longer and pointier, and her skin got lighter as white fur spurted from it. She slammed down on all fours, pinning Ace down, a paw on either side of his skull and waist. He chuckled nervously coming face to face with the wolf from earlier. He should've guessed it was her by the ears. Moro let out a toothy grin before saying; "I brought you here, darling. If I find anyone hurt out there in the snow, I take them in, even if they don't like it. Now, darling, I have one question for you. Your name?"

"Portgas D. Ace, but just call me Ace" he said shakily. Moro's wolf nose was hovering just above his, so he had a pretty good view of those fearsome gold eyes. And the look from them... Oh how they sent shivers up and down his spine. She blinked once, and chuckled to herself before leaping of the bed and landing on the flagstone floor with a thud. Ace sat up and looked at the wolfess as she turned to him.

"I have to go to town for an hour or two to get dinner. You rest up" she ordered sauntering over to the doorway, her long nails clacking on the floor as she walked.

"Goodnight" she barked, and headed out of the room. Ace heard the door slam, and plopped back down on the pillow with a sigh. He was still slightly shaking from the moment's excitement. Well, it was exciting to him, anyways. To be in a giant wolfess's presence would seem threatening to anyone else. He looked out the window next to him for no apparent reason, and noticed the town in the distance. It was called... White Wolf? Yea, that's what Moro had said. He heard a bone-chilling howl, and jumped out of the bed. He saw Moro bounding across the snowy landscape in her wolf form towards the town. Ace grinned widely, mumbling 'Bitch' under his breath and settled back into bed. Yup, he thought, this was going to be one interesting stay here on Timber Wolf Island.

* * *

Please review and let me know what you think. If you think I should continue, if you think I suck, spelling/grammer mistakes; anything. Just let me know how I'm doing. Thanks in advance.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ace groaned, not wanting to wake up. The pirate, deprived of sleep for the last few days thanks to his running from the Marines, and found refuge by incidentally running into his brother's ship. What luck! The only downside is that Luffy was bounding after him every five minutes, pleading for stories of his brother's adventures. Oh well. Every cloud has a silver lining. Ace turned onto his back, placing an arm over his eyes, allowing the sleep inertia to drift off. He blinked a few times, allowing his dark eyes to adjust to the dimly lit room. He turned his head slightly, staring at the steadily wavering candle that shone with a golden color all too familiar to the pirate. Moro… That damn witch doctor. How many years had it been since that chance visit to Timberwolf Island? Three? Four? No matter… What really annoyed him was why his mind had decided to relive that memory. Why in the hell was he dreaming-

"ACE!!" Luffy cried, stampeding though the corridors of the ship and into his brothers' room. The younger D came in with such force; he couldn't stop himself from colliding with the elder D's hammock, sending them both into a spinning wreck of cloth and limbs. It took the help of Sanji and Zoro to untangle them from their mess. Once that task was done, Nami came in to announce some good news.

"We're going to make port soon, alright? There's this little island coming up, so we'll be able to restock on food and other supplies"

"And meat?" Luffy asked enthusiastically, already picturing the feast in his mind. Nami giggled and nodded. She turned to leave the room, but stopped in mid-step.

"One more thing; I think we're headed towards a winter island, so bundle up. There's already a few flakes falling on the deck"

* * *

All bundled up in jackets and sweaters, the Straw Hat Crew along with their guest huddled on the deck, awaiting to make port on this winter island which, strangely enough, was no where to be seen on any of the navigator's maps. Hm. Very very odd indeed. Nami worried that this island could be uninhabited, but those doubts were casted aside when, through the heavy snow that fell on the island, she made out a tall mountain, with little towns and villages dotted along its cliffs. Ace stared out into the island, a strange feeling traveling up his spine that he couldn't put his finger on. Once the Merry Go made birth and the crew members stepped down onto the snow covered sand, Flame Fist Ace took a good look around to get his bearings. The snow covered evergreens, the beach, the entire atmosphere seemed so familiar. He grunted, scratching the back of his head, wishing he could figure it out. Just then, a long, deep, haunting melody carried itself across the snow from the forest, and Ace knew exactly were they where.

"What the hell was that?!" Usopp cried, jumping onto Zoro's back as the howl entered his ears.

"A wolf, you shithead" Sanji said, taking a long drag of his cigarette and smirking as Zoro dropped Usopp onto the snow.

"It's nothing to worry about, you guys. The wolves won't do anything to humans" Ace said, turning to the crew and smirking. Nami gave the Luffy's brother a perplexed look, shifting her bag from one shoulder to the other. She asked him how he came to such a conclusion, and the bare-backed pirate smiled slyly.

"Let's just say I know from experience"

And with that, Ace led them to the port town of White Wolf.

* * *

"Ace stop being such a child and drink your medicine!"

"You sound like my mother, Moro!"

"Thank the Gods that's not the case!"

Ace gasped overdramatically, covering his mouth with his left hand while his right and his feet fought off the healer who was trying to make him swallow one of her so called 'medicines'. The nerve of this canine/woman!

"Are you insulting my mother?!"

"No, dearest. I'm sure she's a _lovely_ woman, but with having you as a son must have drove her insane"

"You whore!"

"You flaming bastard!"

"You bitch!"

"Technically…"

"Oh. Right. Let me rephrase that. You fuzz butt!"

"This is the thanks I get for rescuing and nurturing you for six months?!"

"And I am forever in your debt, oh fair fuzzy maiden"

"You need to develop some manners, dearest"

"I have manners. I just don't feel the need to use them with you"

"Will you please drink the medicine?"

"Now that you say it nicely, certainly"

Ace snatched the concoction out of Moro's hand, putting an end to the wrestling match.

"Thank good- ACK"

Once Ace had gulped down, gagged, and wiped his mouth clean of the medicine, the hand he still held Moro with tugged on her hand, pulling her into Ace's lap.

"You bas-"

"Shhhhh…" he said, poking his index finger into the flesh of her stomach and wiggling it. No reaction.

"Damn I was hoping you were ticklish"

"No, I will not sleep with you"

"How, from my wanting to tickle you, do you get that?"

"Because you mumble in your sleep"

Ace stayed silent.

"Point taken. Just pretend to be ticklish, kay?"

"Ace. I have to go to town-"

"Please? Not even as a dying request?"

Moro snorted. "Oh please. You're not dying. You could leave if you wanted to"

Ace stayed silent for a second, and then grinned; "I don't want to leave"

Moro, not sure how to react, untangled herself from Ace's grasp, brushed herself off, and exited the room, and her cabin, without making eye contact with the pirate. The young pirate sighed, wondering what business she had to attend to in town. After sitting in bed for a few seconds, he grinned again; grabbing the nearest coat he could and ran after her. He'd answer his curiosity by finding out firsthand.

* * *

"YEEHAW! MEAT!" Luffy cheered, taking humongous chunks out of the caribou steak he had ordered. The rest of the crew ate and drank hard at the local and only pub in White Wolf, the Sunflower. Ironic name for a place situated on a winter island, but upon seeing the warmth the emanated from the locale, the name fit perfectly. Ace was lost in thought seeing all the faces he remembered so well. They all greeted him, offered him warm welcomes, and showed him the changes they had made in the four years he was gone, but said nothing of Moro. Ace found it strange that in a town as small as this, they hadn't spread any rumors about the pirate and the witch doctor. Strange indeed since whenever he came to town with said female, he made quite sure to display his affinity by embarrassing the hell out of her. Ace smirked, recalling memories four years forgotten, and earned strange looks from the rest of the crew.

"Ace… Are you alright?" Chopper asked, nibbling on a bread roll. The elder D snapped out of his trance, nodded, and grinned, reaching over for a mug full of alcohol. Usopp pointed out how the fire man seemed out of it, and Ace just shrugged the long nose off, and continued to eat merrily with the rest of his brother's nakama.

"Seriously, Ace. You've seemed strange since we made port" Nami stated, cutting herself a piece of caribou steak and gingerly placing it in her mouth.

"Guys, Im…"

He stopped in mid sentence. He had spotted a large canine figure lumbering slowly outside the window. Its arctic colored fur was splotched with red, and it seemed to be dragging some kind of hoofed beast to the doorway. A loud thump resounded from outside, and the canine scratched the door with a clawed paw.

"…fine" he finished, watching as Aneko, the proprietor of the pub, a jolly middle-aged woman with blond hair always in a messy bun and gentle honey eyes, rushed to the door squeling with joy.

"Looks like you had a good hunt, eh Moro? This'll and the few you caught yesterday should be more than enough for the festival"

"There are four more in the back. You ran out of space, so I brought it up front" Moro said nonchalantly as Aneko rushed to the bar, poured her a shot of vodka, and brought it to the front so the wolfess could lap it up. As she did so, she stopped, sniffing the air heavily.

"I'm going home. The air smells like brimstone"

"I do not" Ace said, standing up and starting towards the female. He couldn't stop from grinning at the sight of her. The white beast before him growled lowly, turning on the balls of her paws and rushing off into the snow-covered flagstone streets. Ace's grin faltered, and his brow furrowed. He dug his hands into his pockets and turned to Aneko.

"That went well, I think" the barkeep said polishing the glass. Ace chuckled.

"So she still hates me?"

"Very much so"

Ace scratched the back of his head. Looks like he'll need to stay on Timberwolf for a while to make amends.

Sorry I havent updated in a while. I've felt the itch to write again, so instead of painting like Im supposed to be doing, Im writing. :D The bright side is that schools almost over, another nine weeks to be exact, and then I can devote my time to the fictions. woot! Enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

Chapter 3

Now, how to start making those amends… Fire Fist Ace knew his mission was going to be a difficult one, with Moro being probably as stubborn as his little brother was. Wait a second… Luffy was good at making quick friends. Maybe he could use his little brother to get to Moro! No no no… that wouldn't work. Moro would probably smell that plan from a mile away. He sighed, frustrated, and crossed his arms, racking his brain for an answer. His face scrunched up in thought as he sat up on the roof of The Sunflower, a spot that had always been his, even four years ago. He stared out onto the town square, which was buzzing with activity for the upcoming festival. He smirked. Man, the festival. That was one of the best times of his life. He was happy that they had…

"…made is just in time!" Aneko said with a jolly smile. The Straw Hat Crew looked at each other, confused.

"What's the festival about?" Usopp asked curiously, head cocked slightly to the side. Aneko's smile widened.

"The Festival of the Running Wolf is to give thanks to the guardians of this island, the wolves. For centuries they've protected the humans here from pirate attacks and from the Marines. That's why we don't have a base on this island, and exactly why it's uncharted. They warn of us natural disasters, and help keep the natural order"

"I don't like wolves…" Chopper said, more to himself, recalling seeing that huge dead caribou being dragged by the throat this morning. Aneko, smiled sympathetically to the little reindeer, and said, "Tell Moro to give you her blessing, and they won't bother you"

"Who's Moro?" Nami asked. "Is she some kind of deity or something?"

"Oh no! Moro is our healer, and she's the descendent of the original guardian of the island. The festival is under her supervision this year. Poor thing! She's so stressed that I'm afraid for her health. And now that Ace is back…"

"What does my brother have to do with anything?" Luffy asked, his brow furrowed. Aneko jumped, realizing she had said more than she meant to.

"Well… It's not exactly my place to say…" she said sheepishly, looking down at the ground. Oh, she wished she could tell them, but she had promised Moro not to tell a soul...

"That's ok. I'll go ask him" Luffy said, walking up the stairs were he saw his older brother do so about twenty minutes ago.

"Hey Ace, who's Moro?" the younger D asked his brother once he arrived on the roof. Ace gazed up at his brother, and shrugged.

"A girl I had a thing for"

* * *

Thing was an understatement. It was a complete and total infatuation. And Fire Fist had the strangest way of showing it. Whenever he was around his fair maiden, he would do everything in his power to annoy the living shit out of her. Hide her herbology books, set her plants on fire, hide in the snow and scare her after her trips to White Wolf…You name it, he probably did it. Ace even went as far as to eat all her meat and drink all her vodka before she got home. If there was one thing Moro couldn't do without, it was those two things. Needless to say, she was furious, and punished him for two weeks, making him her assistant, her maid, her gardener, etc. But he loved every second of it. And so, whenever he got the chance, he misbehaved, was rude, crude, and downright rotten. But to Aneko and the other residents of White Wolf, it was the most absurd thing they had ever seen. To them, he was a complete and utter gentlemen; he was polite, helped out without being asked, and saved kittens from trees. But as soon as Moro sauntered into the room, his demeanor completely changed. He turned into a mischievous toddler.

The instance in which Ace recalled the most was the night of the Festival of the Running Wolf. Moro wasn't in charge that year, so the only thing she had to do was party until she dropped. And she did. Ace had never seen her drink so hard, eat so much, or even laugh that loud. Moro was a pretty stoic person, but that night the smiles and laughter that escaped the wolfess's lips poured like water from a well. She was in such a good mood that even the pirate's usual antics didn't anger her. It was time for something big. After all the festivities, the pair went straight to Moro's cottage, and the female went straight to the shower to get the grime off of her before going to bed. Ace took this as his chance to strike. He ran around the house in a mad dash, laughing hysterically to himself all the while. A few moments later, Ace heard the water stop running through the pipes, and a gigantic Cheshire grin spread across his face, as he hauled a bag full of who-knows-what with him. He sat cross-legged on the flagstone floor in front of the door to the bathroom, and waited.

A 'GODDAMMIT!' was heard from beyond it. Ace had to bite his lip to stop the mad fit of giggles he was about to have. The door swung open, revealing Moro, her white hair wet from the shower, wrapped in a towel, glaring at Ace.

"Where are my clothes?" she hissed, her ears folded back aggressively. Ace looked innocently at the wolfess's feet, and she followed his gaze, and gasped at the pile of ashes at them. She put a hand to her temple.

"I'll just get my other clothes"

Ace cleared his throat, getting up, and swinging the bag over his shoulder. Moro froze, and glared some more.

"You didn't-"

"I did!" he cried triumphantly, snapping his fingers and setting the bag a flame. Moro roared, and in her bath towel, started chasing the pirate around her house and eventually outside into the snow. Once outside, Ace managed to hit Moro square in the face with a snowball, and almost pissed himself from laughing. Moro growled, grabbed a handful of the white stuff, and flung it at her friend.

"OUCH!" Ace cried, the snowball ricocheting off his head. "YOU PUT A ROCK IN IT!!"

Moro howled with laughter seeing the light trickle of blood on the pirate's brow. Ace scrunched up his face in determination, titled down his hat, and charged at the still laughing female, tackling her to the ground. He shoved snow down the front of her towel; she yelped in agony, returning the favor by shoving snow down his pants; Ace squealed. They wrestled in the snow for no longer than 15 minutes before they both collapsed from exhaustion, chuckling all the same. It was a miracle how Moro's towel had managed to stay on. As she lay on the ground heaving, Ace sat up, gazing at her admirably. She took one last handful of snow and with her remaining strength flung it in his face. He just brushed it off, and rubbed the back of his head.

"So are you mad?"

"Exceptionally"

"I figured. So I'll buy you clothes tomorrow, alright?"

Moro looked at him strangely.

"What? You thought I would leave you without clothes? It's a nice thought, but I'm not THAT mean"

Moro rolled her eyes, and tried to get up, but couldn't. She was too tired. Ace smiled down at the wolfess.

"Need help?"

Moro growled. Ace smirked, standing up after scooping up the towel-clad female. She continued to growl, all the way to her room, with an occasional giggle here and there. Ace's grin never ceased.

* * *

"Sounds like you two were pretty close" Luffy pointed out, staring out onto the snow covered landscape, just like his brother beside him. Ace shrugged, scratching the back of his head.

"So what now?"

"I was about you if you had an ideas, come I have none"

"Well, you could always just _ask_ why she's mad, and then apologize. That always works when I mess up Sanji's cooking, or Usopp's drawing, or-"

"I know _why_ she's mad. It's cause-"

A loud scream that sounded very much like Chopper's from below cut Fire Fist off. The brother Ds looked down from their lofty seat towards the road before The Sunflower, only to find a pack of six wolves of assorted sizes and colors barking and yelping at its door. One of said wolves had entered the pub, taken Aneko's skirt in its jowls, and was guiding her towards the barren outskirts of town.

"Oi! What's going on down there?"

Nami responded; "We don't know! Chopper's too frightened to translate, but they seem to want someone to follow- AYIII!"

One of the wolves had taken the cuff of her jacket by the teeth, and was pulling her in the same direction as Aneko.

"They won't hurt you" Ace said calmly, swiftly jumping down from his stand. "It's in your best interest to follow them. See?" he stated, tilting his head in Aneko's direction. The barkeep had already evolved into a full sprint, puffs of hot air shooting out of her mouth and into the frigid atmosphere. The wolf that had chomped on her skirt previously was trotting beside her, yelping for an increase in speed. It was after this that Luffy joined his nakama on the ground, and happily yelled "FORWARD!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Oh. My. GOD"

Those were the only three words that could've described the scene before them. The Straw Hat Crew, Ace, and the bar-keep Aneko were standing just on the outskirts of the town of White Wolf. They had trekked for about 20 minutes through a dense evergreen forest following the wolves that lead them to this clearing, and now they all understood fully well why they were needed. The canines had led them to a clearing, where its inhabitants were divided into two groups. With the humans standing somewhere in the middle on its edge, to their left, a herd of wild caribou watched their alpha bull take on Moro in her wolf form, with the local pack behind her, yelping her on. The only thing was that bull had caught her off guard, and impaled her on its magnificently sharp antlers. The white snow was tainted with the wolfess' velvet red blood.

"Moro! Stop hunting! We have enough!" Aneko cried, tears stinging her cheeks in the cold weather. The wolfess, her breath coming out in hot puffs, looked at her friend momentarily, golden eyes showing no emotion. The middle-aged woman sniffed, eyes pleading. Moro remained on the offensive, head lowered, staring down the bull across from her. He stood with his leg spread-eagle, head lowered, antlers glistening with canine blood. He snorted a foggy puff of air. Moro glanced again at the humans gathering around their battle. She stiffened at the sight of Ace.

_That bastard… I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me weak. Not again._

She lifted her head, bringing her legs together, her stance neither offensive nor defensive. The bull, in turn, raised his skull, curious, but he remained ready to attack.

"We have enough…" Aneko mumbled more to herself, clamping her hands together. Ace sympathized with the older woman, and placed a warm hand on her shoulder. He continued a steady gaze towards the scene before them. He smirked slightly, knowing the tradition full well when a wolf on this island lost.

Moro dipped her head, bowing to the bull, and kept it down until he did the same. This, of course, earned quite a ruckus from the group of canines behind her; they barked loudly, upset because this would have been their meal. Moro violently turned to face them, and lunged with her teeth bared. The whimpered, scrambling into the evergreen forest; they knew full well that even injured, the guardian of these woods could easily kill them. She barked and snarled loudly, so that those that fled could hear her decree; Do not harm the bull. He has earned his right to live. The only one that shall claim his life will be me.

She snorted, and turned to face the bull. He bugled thanks, and galloped back to his herd, leading them into the icy evergreens.

"Moro!" Aneko cried, running over to her friend as she transformed from beast to human. The older woman's hands flew to her mouth; the wounds were much more visible since there was no fur to cover them up. The blood has soaked completely through her white long sleeve shirt; her black jeans glistening a malevolent tint of red. Even her waist-long snowflake-colored hair was streaked.

"Do you need-?"

"I'm fine. I'll just go handle it myself at home" she said as if it was no big deal. Moro's golden eyes poured reassurance into Aneko's honey ones.

"You really should get some extra help"

Moro's left eye visibly twitched. She glared at Ace as coldly and as sharply as she could possibly muster.

He just grinned at her, arms crossed across his chest.

_Cheeky bastard. _

Oh but that was the point.

Ace started towards the female pair, and Moro snarled, transforming back into her wolf form. She turned heel, sprinting at full speed into the ice and snow.

"Moro! Oh! She'll loose all her blood-"

One of the wolves that lead the group, a ginger female with bright blue eyes, tugged on Anekos' skirt. She barked, looking to Chopper as her translator, and he did so shakily.

"Moro is very strong. Nothing ill will befall her. If that isn't reassurance enough, you have my word as the alphess of the South Tribe that I personally will make sure she gets to her den safely"

Aneko looked down at the ginger thoughtfully, and scratched the wolf behind her ears. Soon after, the small band that had led them, like their brethren, disappeared into the landscape. The humans began their short hike back to White Wolf. Aneko was preoccupied with thoughts of her friend. Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper were discussing how cool but scary the whole ordeal was. Nami and Sanji were also discussing this amongst themselves. Zoro, his usual stoic self, really paid no attention to the whole thing. Ace, on the other hand, had mixed feelings. He was worried about his friend, but knew not to get involved. He frowned, unsure what to do.

Hell, he never cared about what she thought of him anyways.

"Hey Chopper, let's go see Moro. That way, you'll get the blessing that'll protect you from the wolves, _and_ you can learn a little about her healing techniques" he whispered to said reindeer once they were back in town. The crew had gone on their separate ways, restocking on supplies and exploring and such, and Ace had pulled the little reindeer aside for a quick chat.

Chopper's eyebrows' knit together; unsure what to make of what Ace was asking him.

"I dunno…"

"Come on… She's hurt, so you can heal her. It's your duty as a doctor"

"That's true… But… she's scary…"

Ace smiled sympathetically, patting the reindeer on his head.

"That's just a front she puts on not to get hurt"

* * *

Ace had been on the island seven months now, and did not want to leave. His days, though, were never boring. He would often wake up before the wolfess did, sneak around the kitchen, and cook up a big breakfast for the pair. Moro, however, never fully appreciated it because she would always complain how burnt the meat he made was. Raw is so much better.

Then, she would leave to town, and on occasion he would follow. On such occasions, he would help out around the town, possibly help Moro with her patients, or just hang tight at the Sunflower while waiting for her to finish. This time though, Ace went alone to White Wolf.

Moro was sick with a cold. A nasty one at that.

Ace guessed wrestling in the snow in nothing but a towel wasn't the smartest thing in the world.

The cold had taken a full week to kick in after their fiasco out in the cold weather. But as the week dragged on, it was inevitable she was becoming sick. Her voice would crack, her joints would pop, and her nose would suddenly stuff up…

She blamed it all on Ace.

And so, out of a mix of guilt and love, he went into town, bought exactly what she ordered him too, and came back to make the foulest, most nauseating, _utterly disgusting_ compound-supposed-medicine he had seen to date.

Moro didn't even cringe while she drank it, and fell promptly to sleep.

The pirate sighed, pulling a chair beside her bed and resting his arms on the mattress. He just wanted to watch her sleep for a while. After all, her features were never ever this gentle…

Well…they were when he made love to her a week ago after their snowball fight.

* * *

"Um… Is this it, Ace?"

The elder D snapped out of his memories, looking up at the reindeer on his shoulders. Chopper pointed at a lone cabin on a hill, surrounded by snow and evergreens. There was no beaten path to said cabin, and one had to be careful climbing up through the snow, less they should trip over the remains of some meal the local wolves have brought to their guardian in offering.

Ace nodded, feeling worried now about seeing her, and trekked on, carrying the reindeer on his shoulders. Once at the top, he knocked, only the scrambling of claws on flagstone, and low moans of pain coming from what he knew to be the part of her house that was formerly his room.

"Chopper… I think you should call out"

"W-what?! Why me?!"

What sounded like claws eventually morphed into the sound of heavy, lumbering footsteps approaching the door.

"Who goes there?"

Chopper looked to Ace, panicked, and the pirate gestured 'lock-and-key' over his mouth.

"T-Tony Tony Chopper!"

"Who?" Moro winced, opening the door, coming face to face with the last person she wanted to see.

"Chopper wanted to make sure you were ok. He's a doctor, you know" Ace smiled happily, placing his hand against the door so to stop her from slamming it. The wolfess's ears folded back against her head as she growled viciously.

"Get. OUT." she hissed as he stepped inside, walking past her and into her living room. He took a quick glance around the place; nothing had changed. There were still plants in every corner, still flagstone on the floor, still muted boring colors adorning all the furniture and wall ornaments…

"Are you alright?" he asked, turning to her with genuine concern. The malicious look in her golden eyes faded for an instant, but returned with ten times more ferocity.

"I can _handle_ myself"

"Then why aren't you bandaged up yet?"

"…"

Ace mentally chuckled, though he tried not to show her so as not to irritate her more.

"Chopper will help you" the elder D stated, lowering the petrified reindeer from his shoulders. Moro looked down at what would have usually been her prey with narrowed eyes.

"And in return…?"

"He would like your blessing"

"So as the packs leave him alone? Is that what you desire, little one?"

Chopper shook with fright. Her eyes softened, as she kneeled and patted him on the head.

"Sounds fair"

* * *

_She had finally given in to him. After months of trying to woo her, or frustrate her to the point where she would just say yes to get him to leave her alone, he succeeded in claiming her. _

Ace sat in the same chair he did that one time she was sick. The only difference now is that he wasn't the one caring for her, Chopper was, and that she wouldn't even look at him. When she did, her eyes were stone cold with hate.

_Her face was so soft. Ace gently stroked her features, recalling what she looked like when he made love to her. It was exactly like this; not the stoic, stony features the rest of the world was used to seeing. She was soft and vulnerable and smiling and giggling and looking at him with nothing but adoration in her eyes. _

Ace felt himself go cold.

_He wanted to love her again._

Was that a thought from the memory, or one from the present?

_He wanted her eyes to soften at the sight of him. He wanted her to giggle at his childish pranks. He wanted her to nuzzle his neck, to feel her warmth on his skin, to hear her demeaning words laced with sarcasm and love and…_

"Ace, can you get out for a moment? I don't think Miss Moro wants you in the room while I attend to the wounds on her chest"

_When did I stop loving you? _

"S-sure"

_Did I ever? Or did I just distract myself from the fact?_

As Ace left the room, his mind abuzz, he sauntered out of the cottage and into the snow. He looked up at the sky; the sun was setting now, and the snow was lit with an orange light. He smirked sadly, remembering how it ended.

_I distracted myself by remembering that you were a distraction from my goal. The only way to keep my mind off of you was to leave._

* * *

Aw man, I havent updated this story in forever... I'm really sorry you guys! D: But I know where I'm going with this fic now :D It's not going to be very long, about ten chapters or so, so please dont be upset. I'm also sorry this chapter isnt my best; it's kind of sad and mushy, but we're getting to the point were we find out why Moro hates Ace so much after their history together. Again, thanks for your patience, and please review to show you still like this story!


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